Sanctioned Russia Sells Shares in Angolan Diamond Mines

Angola has announced that Russian shares in two of its major diamond mines have been sold to an Omani-backed fund as a result of international sanctions, a government official said.

Russia’s diamond giant Alrosa was until now a joint owner of Angola’s Catcoa mine, the fourth-largest in the world, and Luele mine, in partnership with the southern African nation’s state-owned company Endiama.

The European Union imposed sanctions on Alrosa, also state-owned, and its CEO in January as part of a ban on diamond imports over the Ukraine war.

This led to “a block on the commercialization” of diamonds from Catcoa and Luele mines, Angola’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum Diamantino Azevedo said Thursday.

After “negotiations between the Angolan and Russian governments, as well as between Endiama and its partner,” Alrosa has now “officially ceased operating in Angola,” Azevedo said.

The company has been “replaced by Maden International Group, a subsidiary of the Sovereign Fund of the Sultanate of Oman,” the minister added.

He said the transition process was “already underway and should be conducted swiftly.”

The sale comes as the United States President Joe Biden was expected to travel to Angola on Dec. 2.

The visit, his first to Africa, underscores the strategic importance of the oil and mineral-rich country where a massive U.S.-led project is underway to export critical minerals.

Source: Themoscowtimes

Angola Seizes 710 Rough Diamonds from Three Guineans

The Criminal Investigative Service (SIC) in Angola seized 710 diamonds of different carats on Sunday in Lucapa, a municipality in the northeastern Lunda-Norte province of Angola.

According to Graciano Lumanhe, the SIC spokesperson in Lunda-Norte, three individuals from Guinea Conakry were found in possession of the diamonds.

Angola Seizes 710 Diamond Stones From Three Guineans
In addition to the diamonds, the officers also discovered a diamond weighing scale, two calculating machines, magnifying glasses, a sieve, and $860 and 68,000 kwanzas in cash during the operation.

All the evidence has been submitted to the Office of the Public Prosecutor as part of the preparations for criminal proceedings against the three suspects.

Source: DCLA

Lucapa finds Lulo mine’s fifth-largest diamond

Australia’s Lucapa Diamond has recovered a 203 carat diamond at its prolific Lulo mine in Angola, the fifth largest ever found at the operation.

The diamond is also the third 100 carat plus stone found at Lulo this year.

Lucapa said the high quality, type IIa diamond was recovered during the processing of run of mine stockpiled ore and its recovery follows those of a 162 and a 116 carat diamonds on successive days last month.

The mine, which hosts the world’s highest dollar per carat alluvial diamonds, began commercial production in January 2015. Only a year later, it delivered the largest ever diamond recovered in Angola a 404 carat white stone later named the “4th February Stone”.

Lucapa has a 40% stake in the Lulo mine. The rest is held by Angola’s national diamond company Endiama and Rosas & Petalas, a private entity.

Angola is the world’s fifth diamond producer by value and sixth by volume. Its industry, which began a century ago under Portuguese colonial rule, is successfully being liberalized.

Source: DCLA

Lucapa Diamonds recovers two diamonds of over 100 ct

Lucapa Diamond Company and its partners Endiama and Rosas and Petalas, have recovered two diamonds of over 100 ct each from the terraces of Mining Block 46 at the Lulo mine, in Angola.

The miner plans to offer the first, a 162.42 carat, type IIa diamond, as part of its normal run-of-mine sales later this month, it said Tuesday. It will sell a 116.14 carat rough, which it discovered the next day, by tender at a future date, along with other high-value, type IIa diamonds the company unearthed from the deposit recently.

Both diamonds were recovered in February, with a 162 ct diamond recovered first, and a 116 ct diamond recovered the following day.

The 116 ct Type IIa diamond will be sold through a tender at a future date, along with other high-value Type IIa diamonds recovered recently, while the 162 ct diamond will be sold as part of normal run-of-mine sales later this month.

Lucapa has assets in Africa and Australia, with interests in the Lulo diamond mine and the Mothae diamond mine, in Lesotho.

Source: DCLA

Solid Performance as Lucapa Sells $102m Rough in 2023

Lucapa reported a slight increase in total rough sales for FY2023 in what it described as a solid performance.

The Australian miner announced revenues of $102.2m, up by 1 per cent on the previous year.

Q4 earnings from its two mines – Lulo in Angola and Mothae in Lesotho – slipped by 1 per cent to $40.8m.

During the year Lucapa sold 11 diamonds from Lulo that fetched a total of $32.7m at two Q4 tenders in Q4. It also recovered two Type IIa diamonds from Lulo, a 208-ct and a 235-ct, the second largest recovery since commercial operations started in 2015.

“Both mines delivered a solid performance against processing and production targets in Q4 and we are pleased with the full year results which saw group guidance achieved,” said managing director Nick Selby.

Mothae performed well despite experiencing a lower dollar per carat average in Q4, which impacted its overall diamond price for the year. Lulo had a good run which saw its high-value recoveries attract firm prices at tender.”

Lulo recovered fewer carats than forecast (30,585) but achieved an average $2,700 per carat, well up on the forecast of $2,300. Mothae recovered more carats that forecast but saw average price per carat down from guidance of $1,000 to an actual $775.

Lucapa said in its ASX announcement that the overall diamond price index began to trend upwards towards the end of 2023, because of India’s two-month moratorium and EU sanctions on Russian goods.
“Tightening economic conditions imposed by central banks and a surge in inflation continues to impact discretionary spending on items such as diamond jewellery,” it said.

“However according to media reports at the end of 2023, there are signs the US market is recovering, however the Chinese market remains slow.”

Lucapa holds a 40 per cent stake in Lulo. The remainder is owned by Angola’s national diamond company Endiama (32 per cent) and by private Angolan company Rosas & Petalas (28 per cent). Lucapa holds a 70 per cent stake in Mothae. The government of Lesotho holds the remaining 30 per cent.

Source: DCLA

Angola considers dual listing for diamond mining firm Endiama

          

                        Angola diamond mining

Angola is aiming for a dual listing for state-owned diamond miner Endiama, reported Reuters citing Angola Mines Minister.

The country initially plans an initial public offering for a stake between 5% and 10% in the company on the Angolan stock exchange, following which it will seek a secondary foreign listing.

This move forms part of the OPEC member country’s efforts to reform and privatise the economy, including a partial listing of national oil company Sonangol.

Russian diamond mining company Alrosa has a joint venture with Endiama in Angola.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, sanctions were imposed by Western nations on several companies, including Alrosa, subsequently impacting Endiama’s operations.

Angola Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas Diamantino Azevedo told the news agency on the sidelines of a mining conference in Cape Town: “Sanctions are there and there is some impact.”

Azevedo said the government is considering measures required to avoid impacts on diamond production.

The minister noted that the government, however, could go ahead with an initial public offering for Endiama following its restructuring.

Azevedo said: “Our goal is (to list) till 30% but will start maybe with five or 10%.”

According to Endiama’s document at the mining conference, the firm’s production was about 8.75 million carats for 2022.

Between 2022 and 2027, Endiama intends to more than double its diamond production to 17.5 million carats.

In September 2022, Bloomberg News reported that Angola was looking to sell its 30% stake in Sonangol within the next five years.

SOurce: mining-technology